For nearly three months, the hand-crafted wooden cane decorated with military badges sat in an office at Target in Big Flats.

The cane was often the topic of conversation among employees, while its owner remained a mystery — until this week, when a chance email to the Star-Gazette and a Facebook post caught the attention of the owner's family and friends.

"I have been looking all over the place for that cane," said Richard "Dick" Cobb, 82, of Big Flats, a Korean War veteran and the cane's owner. "I thought it was gone forever."

The cane was left behind Memorial Day weekend at Target. For awhile, it sat in the office of Rita Doyle, a human resources employee at the big-box store.

"It has been claimed," she said Friday afternoon.

Decorated with an American flag, a Combat Infantry Badge and other military insignias, the cane tells the story of its owner.

"We knew it belonged to a veteran," Doyle said.

Earlier this week, a Target employee sent an email with a photograph of the cane to the newspaper asking for help finding the owner. The picture was immediately posted on the Star-Gazette's Facebook and Twitter and a friend of the family recognized it.

"I saw the photo on the Star-Gazette Facebook page. I knew immediately it was his," said Shane Dilmore of Big Flats. "He hand made the cane in his wood shop and put his Korean War medals on it."

There was no doubt in his mind it belonged to Cobb.

"I've known Dick all my life," Dilmore said. "He's very good friend of my father's and best friends with my uncle."

Cobb, a retired correction officer and former paramedic, makes canes as a hobby, he said. He was about to make a replacement when the first call came about his missing cane this week.

"I was shocked," Cobb said.

Dilmore saw the Facebook post and tagged Cobb's son, Scott Cobb, in the post. He also called his cousin, so she could contact Cobb.

"He was elated to get the call and wanted to know how the heck I knew it was at Target," Dilmore said.

Doyle and her colleagues at Target were happy to know the cane was returned to its owner.

Cobb was also thrilled, he said, adding, "I never thought I'd see it again."